Roland HD-1 Electronic Drums

Perfect for first-time players and tour-vets who need a practice kit, the Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite is compact, affordable and simple to use yet still plays and sounds like a real drum set.

The Sounds
Roland opted to keep things simple with the HD-1 by building a streamlined module that only includes the essential buttons and dials. There are five selectable kits, each with a variation, for a total of 10 great sounding drum sets. Because the drum and cymbal pads are velocity sensitive some pads on each kit trigger a variety of different sounds. For example, when a player dials up the second variation of the “power” kit and play the ride cymbal at a normal velocity, it sounds like, you guessed it, a ride cymbal. However, if the energy gets amped up and they strike the same pad harder it turns into a heavy, trashy China. This combined with the fact that the hi-hat pedal is now a second kick pedal means that the tiny HD-1 sounds like a huge metal power kit, complete with double bass and China cymbal. With rock, hip hop, latin, metal, world music, electronica, voices and percussion sound sets, the HD-1 gives players the ability to have 10 completely different drum kits in one tiny package.

Silence (Even for a Drummer) is Golden
Thanks to a well designed kick drum pedal, cushioned tom pads and a mesh snare drum head, the Roland HD-1 is incredibly quiet. It's like having 10 drum sets in the living room with the added benefit of not waking the neighbors at three in the morning. And, because of it's unique rack design, the Roland HD-1 has a small foot print, making it the ideal drum kit for even the smallest apartment, closet or home studio. Perfect for the kind of musician who wants to take their drums with them, the HD-1 makes it easier than ever by mounting most of the components onto one stand for a clean and simple set up, tear down, and transport.

Jam Along
The HD-1 features an external input for connecting audio sources (such as CD players or iPods) so that players can jam along with their favorite songs. Like any good electronic kit, the HD-1's brain also features an on-board metronome with a dial to adjust tempos on the fly.

Roland
Roland has been on the cutting edge of electronic drum and percussion technology for years. Best known for it's ground-breaking V-Drums line, Roland has developed a reputation as the go-to company for professional electronic drum gear.

Some electronic drum kits can seem intimidating to a novice, but Roland designed the HD-1 with the beginner in mind. First, it includes pretty much everything you're going to need to start rocking right out of the box, so there's no guesswork about what else to get. Second, the integrated all-in-one design means you don't need to try to figure out what goes where, so it's easy to set up. Finally, the stripped-down sound module is totally easy to figure out. Even if you've never played an electronic kit before, you'll have no problem calling up a patch and making some noise within minutes of unpacking the box.

What's In The Box

The HD-1 is known as the V-Drum Lite kit, which is right on the money for this low-cost, no-frills set of e-drums. You get a compact stand with integrated kick and hi-hat pedals, plus all the cabling and mounting hardware necessary. The HD-1 includes a full selection of trigger pads, such as a mesh-head snare pad, three rubberized tom pads, two cymbal pads for crash and ride, and a hi-hat pad. The included module perches atop the stand within easy reach while you're playing. Roland also includes a DVD to show you how everything goes together.

What's Not

While the HD-1 is technically ready to go right out of the box, there are a few extras you're going to want to pick up. First, you'll need something to sit on. A kitchen chair will work in a pinch, but you're better off getting a drum throne. This will let you position the height for more comfortable playing, and give easier access to both pedals than the average chair. Next, you're going to need something to bang with. You've got hands, right? You could always play this thing bongo-style, but you're probably going to want a nice pair of drumsticks. Any old pair will do, but you may want to look for a set that compensates for the extra vibration from the rubber pads. Finally, you're going to need some sort of speaker setup to hear the sound this kit makes. A pair of headphones will do for private practice, or you can get a drum monitor system to share that sound with the world. Roland makes the DAP-1 Accessory Pack that includes a throne, sticks, and earphones, as well as the PM01 drum monitor, both of which are a great match for the HD-1 kit.

Tiny Footprint

The stand assembly is made with light metal tubing and plastic clamping hardware, so it's easy for one person to move. The pad arms pivot inward into a very compact shape, so you can easily store it away when not in use. The initial setup took me less than a half hour when following the DVD instructions, and the "unfolding process" was much faster.

The bass pedal and the hi-hat pedal are integrated into the base of the stand, with the added benefit of providing some stability to the main trunk of tubing. The bass pedal does not use a typical beater, meaning you don't have to stomp down as hard with your right foot to trigger the kick. If you live in an apartment, your downstairs neighbors will appreciate this design feature. In fact, the entire HD-1 kit is acoustically very quiet, meaning private practice stays private. On the flipside, the integrated pedal design means their positioning is not adjustable. If you've been playing other kits for a while and are used to having your bass pedal head-up in front of the kick drum with your hi-hat off to the side, this symmetrical design may take some getting used to.

Snare, tom, and cymbal pad positioning is somewhat flexible, but within a limited range. The HD-1 can be set up for left-handed use, and the manual tells you how. Some of the kits in the sound module use the hi-hat pedal as a second kick for quick double-bass blast beats.

All of the cabling is clearly labeled, so there's no confusion about plugging in. Roland includes cable ties with the kit, and the stand tubing is grooved to keep your wiring harness organized. Once everything is dressed and tucked away, the kit looks neat and tidy.

The Module

The brains of the operation stem from Roland's tiny HD-1 module. It's designed to be easy to use, yet still provide a good amount of flexibility. The I/O ports are fairly basic, with 1/8" stereo minijacks for the main output and headphones, plus another 1/8" minijack for the Mix input. This lets you connect a CD/MP3 player for jam-along practice. The wiring harness for the trigger pads terminates into a single D-Sub connection so there's no confusion about cabling. The module also offers a MIDI Out port for connection to outboard gear.

The interface is very straightforward, with a total of seven backlit buttons and two control knobs. Five of the buttons are numbered, each accessing a different drum kit sound. The kits aren't editable, but pressing the Variation button gives a slightly different flavor, for a total of 10 different kit choices. The seventh button acts as a start/stop control for the onboard metronome. Choose from a cowbell or maraca sound to indicate the beat, or go with the standard click. You can set one of three blend volumes to determine how loud the metronome sounds compared to the kit. The Tempo knob lets you set the BPM from 40 to 220, and the Volume knob controls the overall level pushed to the main and headphone outs.

Since no menus are needed, there is no display screen on the module. I didn't really miss it, though it would have been nice to have an exact reference when setting the metronome tempo or the output volume.

The Sounds

Roland's COSM modeling is found in many of their higher-end products, but to keep things simple, the HD-1 kit sounds are solely comprised of PCM samples. The module contains a total of 70 percussion sounds, organized into the aforementioned ten drum kits. Most of the kits are based on standard acoustic setups, such as the Jazz kit or the Power kit; a boomy Rock rig with tons of reverb. A few of the kits are loaded with Latin percussion sounds for World Music grooves, and of course, no Roland V-Kit would be complete without at least one electronic-sounding kit, modeled after the famous TR-808. You also get a couple of odball effects kits, including the beatbox-a-licious Voices and the electro-metallic Droid. Roland includes preset patterns for each of the kits, letting you get a feel for its capabilities right off the bat. All kits are velocity sensitive, meaning different samples are triggered based on how hard you strike the pad. Tap lightly on the Drum and Percussion kit, for example, and you can get a muted Conga tone. Hit it a bit harder and you trigger a more open sound. Really whale on it, and you'll hear the pingy edge-slap tone.

Roland really uses those 70 sounds to the fullest, and all kits sound balanced and even. Many have built in ambience, so you won't really miss not being able to tweak sounds and add effects. It's nice to just sit down, call up a kit, and go.

The Upshot

While this kit is clearly designed for beginners, I feel it's also a good, portable, inexpensive choice for intermediate players. The MIDI output is great for sequencing or triggering a wider variety of sounds from a computer-based virtual drum application. If you're new to electronic drumming, there can be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to adjusting your technique to make the most out of the trigger pads; especially with the fixed layout of the HD-1. The manual provides some tips on technique, though, and it's a small price to pay for access to a nearly silent practice kit with a bunch of good sounds.

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"Nice product for getting into electronic drums or as a quiet practice kit to work on your chops without goin to the shed."

Sound:
Simple, basic, electronic drum kit with good quality pre-programed kit sounds. You can not tweak the individual sounds of each drum/cymbal in the kit. Kit is compact & very quiet, excellent for practicing & not disturbing others, Bass drum pedal takes some getting used to because there is no rebound of the beater head. The snare is small so I opted to use the larger snare from my td-10 kit with a regular snare drum stand. There are few options for adjusting individual set components, but this is because the idea is to have an easily transported kit that is quick to tear down & doesn't use up much space. The toms have a softer surface than the older electronic kits & that is good for the old joints. You don't have a lot of flexibility with adjusting the angles of the hardware and fine tuning individual sound characteristics of each piece. This is an ideal kit for a beginner, but makes a really nice set for quiet practicing if you have chops. I was very impressed for the price. I really like this kit for what it is. Hopefully Roland can make some improvements in the adjustments of the hardware & come up with an upgraded brain the would allow more flexibility in tweaking & mixing the individual drum/cymbal sounds.
Feature:
Best features are: quiet practice possibilities; compact design takes up little space; quick to tear down & transport
Ease of Use:
Triggers are effective; kit sounds are good but you need to have chops to get it to sound good as a complete kit; quick learning curve if you are familiar with the instrument; though you have little flexibility to make adjustment with the hardware the kit is quite playable.
Quality:
Too soon to tell about durability. I wouldn't want to take this on the road. Seems like it will hold up well as an in-house kit for quiet practice/ basic recording if you don't bash them like a guerrilla & know how to play
Value:
Well worth the money for the price. It is what it is, but don't expect it to be something more. With that said, don't be scared away because I really like this for what it is.
Manufacturer Support:
NA
The Wow Factor:
It is a good basic starter kit for introduction into electronic drums. For the experienced player it fulfills a low cost niche as a quiet practice device of surprising quality for the price.
Overall:
I love this for what it is & would get another one because it meets a specific need as a low cost decent kit that allows me to play when I otherwise would not be able to do so.

Style of Music: Jazz & everything else that led up to it & evolved from it

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"Should I get an HD-1 or one of the TD series kits?"

Sound:
The Roland sounds are amazing, and the HD-1 is no exception. The pads felt good and were responsive. Compared to one of the TD series kits, though, individual drums ("instruments") cannot be modified. Volume and sensitivity are set "globally" and cannot be adjusted in relationship to each other. For my tastes, the kick was a little too loud and the snare a little too quiet. If you don't like messing with programming parameters, you just want to play, you have ten kits at your finger tips.
Feature:
The mesh-head snare is nice, and the gum-rubber pads are responsive and easy to play. There is not a great deal of adjustment that the user can make to the individual drums. The snare is the most adjustable. The other instruments pretty much just move up and down. The cymbal rods are fixed on their angles and cannot be adjusted for tilt. The toms can be spread and slid up and down their mounting bars, but cannot be tilted. Roland obviously used drummers to set this up because stuff was all in a comfortable place, but unlike the TD series kits, adjustments are very limited.
Ease of Use:
It's as easy at it gets - set it up, plug it in, selection one of the ten drum kits, set your volume and start playing. No electronic drum kit is easier to use.
Quality:
For what it is, the quality is excellent in terms of strength, fit and finish. It is strong enough, but is not made for the road (it doesn't come apart) - it is best to set it up and leave it in a room or studio. The tom pads are not the TD series pads, and I've never seen them anywhere else. If one broke, you'd need to contact Roland, but it's best to think of this kit as one of the old all-in-one stereos viz one that is made up of various components.
Value:
I gave this a nine, but could have given it a ten. Its value is excellent, depending on what you want. If you want something to take on the road, something for which you can change the sounds and settings of individual pads, and something you can get other parts for to customize and modify, you'll be disappointed. If you want something self-contained, extremely small, and easy to use you can't beat this. Consider carefully, though, that a TD-4 is only $200 - it takes up a bit more room, and requires (simple) programming, but give you a lot more versatility. If you're limited on space and don't want to "mess with" the kit, the HD-1 is hard to beat.
The Wow Factor:
The product looks great, works great, and sounds fantastic. For having so little adjustment, Roland really "got it right" - on my TD-4 I make adjustments all the time, but the HD-1, which I'd mess with it if I could, works very well "as is."
Overall:
Again, I'm not sure how to rate this. After playing it for a week, I traded it in for a TD-4 because I wanted the additional versatility. If you're a casual player, or don't have a lot of space, or don't like to fiddle with "programming" (although the programming of e-drums is pretty easy once you catch onto it), the HD-1 has a lot to commend it.

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